as in extramarital
relating to or being a sexual encounter or relationship between a married person and someone other than their spouse
had an adulterous affair that nearly destroyed his marriage
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Recent Examples of adulterous
In the months since the incident unfolded at Gillette Stadium, the public — which was quick to discover that Cabot worked as an HR executive under Byron, and that both were married to other people at the time — has been quick to brand the pair as adulterous villains.
—
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 18 Dec. 2025
The supernatural thriller sees a woman return from death as a vindictive spirit to torment her adulterous husband.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 June 2025
But with a twist so big — Sarah being the killer of her adulterous husband Adam’s mistress, Kelly Summers, and the one who set him up for the murder while simultaneously defending him tooth and nail in court — where was Rose to go after that?
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025
Nor did anyone blink when Shonda Rhimes set Scandal within the White House of a wishy-washy, adulterous GOP President who’d unwittingly stolen an election.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adulterous
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 18 Dec. 2025
The supernatural thriller sees a woman return from death as a vindictive spirit to torment her adulterous husband.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 June 2025
But with a twist so big — Sarah being the killer of her adulterous husband Adam’s mistress, Kelly Summers, and the one who set him up for the murder while simultaneously defending him tooth and nail in court — where was Rose to go after that?
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025
Nor did anyone blink when Shonda Rhimes set Scandal within the White House of a wishy-washy, adulterous GOP President who’d unwittingly stolen an election.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adulterous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulterous
Adjective
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He was caught using a crude slur for Jews, and carrying on an extramarital affair that produced an out-of-wedlock child.—
Mark Whitaker,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
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The latest Epstein documents include a series of emails that Epstein sent to himself in 2013, appearing to suggest that Gates was having an extramarital affair and seeking illicit drugs.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Gracynn displays professional and academic dedication in the classroom and extracurricular pursuits, instructor Jason Logan said.—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Feb. 2026
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Some Christians take on a somber attitude and maintain a quiet atmosphere in their homes with little to no entertainment or extracurricular activities, while others may play music and bake hot cross buns, a traditional Good Friday sweet.—
Marina Johnson,
IndyStar,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adulterous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulterous. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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